READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons (note short i in illius):
Ut praedam Muscās captāre solēret Hirundo,
Forsan Arāneolum fāma notāsse refert.Explicat impediant sua rētia laxa volātum
Illius, effectū rēs tamen illa caret.Hōs impūne volāns cassēs quia rūpit Hirundo,
Paene labōre carēns omne dirēmit opus.Tālibus ūsa vidēns hoc fertur Arānea verbīs:
Nōn hanc, ceu Muscās, rētia nostra tenent.Nōn oppōne tuās, prior est quī rōbore, vīrēs,
Nīl, hīs sī careās īra, minaeque valent.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Ut Hirundo praedam Muscās captāre solēret, fāma refert Arāneolum forsan notāsse. Rētia sua laxa explicat illius volātum impediant, rēs tamen illa effectū caret. Quia Hirundo, impūne volāns, hōs cassēs rūpit, labōre paene carēns, opus omne dirēmit. Fertur Arānea, hoc vidēns, tālibus verbīs ūsa: Rētia nostra hanc nōn tenent, ceu Muscās. prior quī rōbore est, nōn oppōne vīrēs tuās; sī hīs careās, īra et minae nīl valent.
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Ut Hírundo praedam Muscas captáre soléret, fama refert Aranéolum forsan notásse. Rétia sua laxa éxplicat íllius volátum impédiant, res tamen illa efféctu caret. Quia Hirúndo, impúne volans, hos casses rupit, labóre paene carens, opus omne dirémit. Fertur Aránea, hoc videns, tálibus verbis usa: Rétia nostra hanc non tenent, ceu Muscas. Prior qui róbore est, non oppóne vires tuas; si his cáreas, ira et minae nil valent.
ELEGIAC COUPLET METER. Below I have used an interpunct dot · to indicate the metrical elements in each line, and a double line || to indicate the hemistichs of the pentameter line.
Ut prae·dam Mus·cās cap·tāre so·lēret Hi·rundo,
Forsan A·rāneo·lum || fāma no·tāsse re·fert.Explicat ·impedi·ant sua· rētia ·laxa vo·lātum
Illius, ·effec·tū || rēs tamen· illa ca·ret.Hōs im·pūne vo·lāns cas·sēs quia· rūpit Hi·rundo,
Paene la·bōre ca·rēns || omne di·rēmit o·pus.Tālibus ·ūsa vi·dēns hoc ·fertur A·rānea ·verbīs:
Nōn hanc, ·ceu Mus·cās, || rētia· nostra te·nent.Nōn op·pōne tu·ās, prior ·est quī ·rōbore, ·vīrēs,
Nīl, hīs ·sī care·ās || īra, mi·naeque va·lent.IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source):
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Ut Hirundo praedam Muscas captare soleret, fama refert Araneolum forsan notasse. Retia sua laxa explicat illius volatum impediant, res tamen illa effectu caret. Quia Hirundo, impune volans, hos casses rupit, labore paene carens, opus omne diremit. Fertur Aranea, hoc videns, talibus verbis usa: Retia nostra hanc non tenent, ceu Muscas. prior qui robore est, non oppone vires tuas; si his careas, ira et minae nil valent.
